“Agreement Within Five Days.”.

• Donald Trump (US President) wrote on Truth Social that he had “productive conversations.”
• After issuing an ultimatum to “open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours,” he backed down a day later, saying, “We will postpone additional airstrikes for five days.”
• International oil prices plummeted while stock markets surged. Brent crude, which had exceeded $114 per barrel, dropped as low as $96.
• The S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq indices rose by 1.2%, 1.4%, and 1.4%, respectively.
• Though Trump continues to act unpredictably, the mere expectation that the worst-case scenario won’t occur seems to be calming the panic.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

“No Negotiations with the US.”.

• Iran’s response differs. While acknowledging other countries’ mediation efforts, it insists there were no negotiations with the US. It also disclosed the airstrike targets.
• Israel continues to attack Iran. Significant damage has already been reported.
• Israel has 50 power plants, with its largest supplying one-fifth of the country’s energy. This underscores Israel’s vulnerability.
• Observers note that Israel’s air defense has already been breached. Iran’s use of cluster munitions—small warheads that separate mid-flight—has rendered interception impossible.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

What Matters Now.

Can Trump’s Exit Strategy Succeed?

• Iran needs assurance it won’t be attacked.
• The US requires the Strait of Hormuz to reopen to end the war.
• Ceasefire talks are ongoing, but demands are too divergent. If the US withdraws now, Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains a larger threat.
• The Economist noted, “Framing inconclusive military operations as victories was also used during Iran’s June 2023 airstrikes.”
• Ground troop deployment is discussed, but risks are high—hostages could be taken, and Iran might retaliate fiercely.

The Won Hits 1,517.3 Before Retreating.

• The dollar-to-won rate is widely expected to stabilize above 1,500—a new normal—but Trump’s remarks briefly pushed it down to 1,481 before a partial rebound.
• As of 6:30 AM on the 24th, it stood at 1,486.3.

Speeding Up the War Supplemental Budget.

• Park Hong-keun (nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget) stated, “Youth indicators are extremely poor,” adding, “We have established a principle to prioritize support for ordinary citizens and vulnerable groups, with greater assistance for regions farther from the capital.” The plan involves distribution via regional currency.
• The Kyunghyang Shinmun emphasized in an editorial, “Speed is the lifeblood of supplemental budgets.”
• It stressed, “Design meticulously to ensure greater benefits reach economically disadvantaged groups, affected businesses, farmers, and fishermen—but given the unprecedented youth unemployment crisis, relief measures must also include strategies to boost public transportation and reduce fuel consumption.”
• Related Link.

Oh Se-hoon and Yoon Hee-sook.

• The People Power Party has finalized its preliminary Seoul mayoral candidates: Oh Se-hoon (Seoul Mayor), Yoon Hee-sook (former People Power Party lawmaker), and Park Soo-min (People Power Party lawmaker). The primary will be held on the 16th–17th of next month, with the final candidate announced on the 18th.
• In a Gallup Korea poll, the People Power Party’s approval rating was 20% nationally, but only 17% in Seoul.

Jang Dong-hyeok Rubs His Hands Without Lifting a Finger.

• Internal strife continues over the cutoffs of Joo Ho-young (People Power Party lawmaker) and Lee Jin-suk (former Chair of the Korea Communications Commission) in the Daegu mayoral nomination.
• Some nomination committee members protested, and while Jang Dong-hyeok (People Power Party leader) attempted to mediate, Lee Jung-hyun (People Power Party Nomination Committee Chair) reportedly pushed forward aggressively.
• Critics suggest Jang’s symbolic opposition was mere posturing, hinting, “His stance isn’t so different after all.” He stated, “Sacrifices are sometimes necessary in nominations,” adding, “The committee’s decision must be respected.”
• The Democratic Party is backing Kim Boo-kyum (former Prime Minister), with rumors of an official candidacy announcement on the 29th.
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

“Find a Precedent for Stock Manipulation Acquittal,” Prosecutors’ Favoritism Toward Kim Keon-hee.

• Lee Chang-soo (then Central District Prosecutors’ Office chief) confirmed that in May 2024, he instructed the prosecutor handling the investigation into Kim Keon-hee’s stock manipulation to drop the case without charges.
• In reality, prosecutors conducted an out-of-office investigation of Kim Keon-hee in July of that year and dismissed the case without charges in October.

Deep Dive.

“Democratic Party Takes 100% Control of Standing Committees.”.

• It is customary to divide seats proportionally between the first and second half of the term. In the second half, the Democratic Party and People Power Party split 10 and 7 committees respectively.
• Jeong Cheong-rae (Democratic Party leader) stated, “The Strategy and Finance Committee, chaired by the People Power Party, passed only 17.6% of bills and held no reviews this year,” adding, “The Democratic Party will take full responsibility for the second-half committee composition and operations.”
• Related Link.

Kim Jong-un’s Third Elevation.

• North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly reaffirmed Kim Jong-un (North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman) in his position.
• The deputy chairmanship shifted from Choe Ryong-hae to Jo Yong-won.

“SBS, Are You Even Media?”.

• Jeong Cheong-rae (Democratic Party leader) spoke these words after paying respects at Roh Moo-hyun’s gravesite in Bongha Village.
• The court ruled that the 2018 “I Want to Know That” report linking Lee Jae-myung (then Gyeonggi Governor) to organized crime was unfounded. Lee Jae-myung (President) said, “I wish to hear a sincere apology,” and SBS issued a formal apology.
• The National Journalists’ Union SBS branch protested, calling it “anti-democratic media taming.”
• Jeong Cheong-rae asked, “Did SBS ever apologize for its reporting on Roh Moo-hyun’s ‘ditch watch’?” adding, “Your shamelessness—that’s what I want to know.”
• Lee Jae-myung posted on X, “If media distorts facts and spreads falsehoods for political purposes, they bear greater responsibility than ordinary citizens given the harm caused.”
• Kim Jong-bae (MBC Focus Today host) noted, “Press freedom is a means to realize freedom of expression, and freedom of expression is a means to uncover truth. The only justification for press freedom is when it serves to reveal the truth.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Another Take.

AI That Kills People.

• Deaths from overwork are piling up at major accounting firms.
• AI adoption has slashed hiring, but the actual workload hasn’t decreased. Many accountants work 2-hour sleep cycles during the audit-heavy start of the year.
• Hallucinations—where generative AI fabricates plausible-sounding but false or unsourced information—remain frequent. While AI aids routine tasks, judgment-heavy areas still demand human input.
• A Kyunghyang Shinmun interviewee explained, “As price competition intensifies, we’re forced to take on 130 audits to earn what 100 used to—workloads can only grow.”

“Same Story at Our Factory.”.

• Daejeon Safety Industries’ disaster was exacerbated by oil grime and vapor accumulating throughout the workplace. Though ceiling ducts are designed to suck in and expel vapor, most were never cleaned.
• Ventilation fans were not subject to safety inspections.
• Criticism arises that safety investments lagged during a 20-year period where sales quadrupled. Police raided Safety Industries’ headquarters and Son Ju-hwan (Safety Industries CEO).

The Fix.

A Care Cliff Within a Decade.

• There are 970,000 people with severe disabilities, of whom 440,000 have caregivers aged 60 or older.
• Severe disabilities require 15+ hours of intensive daily care, yet only 251 of 1,524 residential facilities are accessible—new admissions are difficult, and facilities often hesitate to accept them.
• Cases where parents in poor health kill their children and then themselves are alarmingly frequent.
• Cho Han-jin (Daegu University professor) warned, “This is a universal crisis that countless disabled families will face within a decade at most.”
• Calls grow for state-managed emergency admission systems and expanded medical-intensive residential facilities.
• Related Link.

By the Time They’re Found, It May Already Be Too Late.

• Fatal family violence cases are piling up. There are warning signs—like children missing school or unpaid utility bills—but gaps in the welfare system remain vast.
• Utility disconnections must persist for over three months before a household is flagged as at-risk. Even when authorities guide families to apply for basic livelihood support, many refuse. Lee Jae-myung (President) criticized the “application-based system as cruel,” but the system has yet to adapt.
• Kang Ji-young (Sookmyung Women’s University professor) noted, “To identify at-risk children, the scope of universal surveys must expand.” Seok Jae-eun (Hallym University professor) added, “Frontline welfare workers hold the most critical information on at-risk households,” warning, “Without flexible on-site application, vulnerable families will keep slipping through the cracks.”
• While officials can initiate basic livelihood applications on behalf of households, they still require consent for financial checks. Kim Hee-ra (head of the Public Transport Union’s Social Welfare Division) argued, “With a single social worker handling over 100 cases, emphasizing ex officio applications without hiring more staff risks becoming empty rhetoric.”
• Nam Chan-seop (Dong-A University professor) pointed to a deeper issue: “The system’s overly strict eligibility criteria are more problematic than the application-based approach.” He warned, “Without relaxing requirements, even identified cases will remain unsupported—a cycle that will only repeat.”
• Related Link.
• Related Link.

Fire at 21-Year-Old Wind Turbine Kills Three.

• Yeongdeok Wind Farm has a capacity of 39.6MW. It operates 24 turbines of 1.7MW each. They began operation in 2005, making them 21 years old.
• Yesterday, three workers conducting maintenance on the turbines died in a fire accident. A 48-meter blade (rotor) caught fire and fell to the ground.

99% of Companies Still Ask for School Names on Resumes.

• This is the result of a survey by Education Spring.
• Song In-soo (Representative of Education Spring) stated, “The school one attended proves only a single exam result from when the person was 18 years old,” and insisted, “It’s time to remove school names from resumes.”
• Song argues for preemptive prevention rather than post-facto control, demanding legislation to prohibit the collection of school or academic background during hiring.
• “Regardless of which school one attended, they should be given the chance to be evaluated by their own capabilities. That is justice, that is efficiency, and that is the path to normalizing education.”
• Related Link.

ICYMI.

S-Oil Raises Fuel Prices the Most.

• Compared to the 28th of last month, it raised prices by 218 won. SK Energy followed with 208 won, HD Hyundai Oilbank with 203 won, and GS Caltex with 200 won—based on gasoline prices.
• S-Oil was also the first to lower prices the most after the government introduced the maximum price system, reducing them by 90 won.
• The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Technology noted, “The policy’s validity increases if the maximum price system is used as a short-term, temporary market stabilization measure.”
• Ahead of the second maximum price decision on the 29th, gas stations rushed to place ‘full tank’ orders. Securing inventory before price hikes helps minimize losses.

Jet Fuel Prices Double.

• Low-cost carriers like Air Busan and Aero K have decided to reduce operations on some routes. With fuel surcharges tripling, many predict passenger demand will shrink.
• Aviation slots and transport rights are subject to revocation if underutilized—below 80% for slots, or fewer than 20 weeks annually.

BTS Performance Tops 77 Countries.

• It ranked first on Netflix’s global viewing chart.
• The version currently streaming is a re-edited live recording. The video quality is sharp, and the editing has been refined.

Worth Reading.

Some Intentions Contaminate the Facts.

• This refers to the allegations of a plea bargain involving Jang In-soo (former MBC journalist).
• Lee Jong-gyu (Hankyoreh Journalism Accountability Director) pointed out, “If the situation continues where they enjoy the de facto status of media—conveying information and commentary—without bearing responsibility, the same incidents could recur at any time.”

Start by Sending Ahn Cheol-soo.

• Ahn Cheol-soo (People Power Party lawmaker) argued, “The dispatch request should be transformed into an opportunity to secure strategic security assets,” and insisted, “In exchange for active participation, we must secure firm commitments on expedited nuclear-powered submarine construction.”
• Jo Jeong-hoon (People Power Party lawmaker) claimed, “Deployment is itself national interest.”
• In a Gallup Korea poll, the People Power Party’s approval rating was 20%, with 56% of its supporters favoring the deployment.
• Kim Min-a (Kyunghyang Shinmun columnist) pointed out, “It seems lawmakers care more about approval from their core supporters—even if a minority—than opposition from the majority of the public.”
• “If there’s no guts to step into the battlefield, stop the noise marketing,” goes the critique.
• Related Link.